1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to robotic carcass processing systems in which a robotic arm, having a carcass processing tool attached, is driven by a robotic controller to process a carcass, typically to split the backbone of the carcass as it is continuously moved along a carcass rail in a carcass processing facility.
2. Description of Related Art
Hog carcasses are cleaned and opened to remove internal components, and then split down the center of the spine or backbone into two sides, which are subsequently further processed into meat cuts. Meat processing facilities such as those that process hogs, operate on carcasses that continuously move along an overhead carcass rail. Each carcass is suspended, typically from its hind legs, from a trolley that rides along the overhead carcass rail or track. The trolleys are driven by a chain so that each carcass moves past each processing station at a speed set by the chain. It is the splitting of the carcass down the backbone to which the system and method of the present invention are particularly directed, although the system may be used for other processing of carcasses, whether suspended or not, that travel along a line for processing.
In U.S. hog carcass processing facilities, it is common for the head of the animal to remain attached to one side of the carcass. It is important that the backbone be fully severed while at least a portion of the back strap adjacent to the backbone be maintained intact so that the supporting trolley not become unbalanced. In European-style processing, where the severed head is held to the carcass by jowls on both sides, it is important that the backbone splitting saw not cut into or nick the head, to avoid damage thereto. Manual adjustment must often be made to the depth and stroke of the splitting saw in either system to ensure that problems do not occur.
In some instances, a particular carcass requires special handling such as further inspection before splitting. In other instances, a trolley or carcass is missing at a particular location along the interval. In either case, the production machinery must be manually stopped or adjusted when the special handling carcass or gap in the production line arrives at a splitting station.
A robotically controlled processing tool has been proposed for splitting hog carcasses. However, either the assembly line has to be stopped at the tool to effect the splitting operation, or the processing tool has to be mounted on a moving platform alongside the assembly line. Both of such alternatives are problematic, either as to production efficiency or complexity of hardware. It is also important that the robotic arm on which the processing tool is mounted be properly controlled to avoid damage.